ORLANDO, Fla. — For the most part, the skies remained clear as Floridians got a celestial treat Tuesday night into Wednesday morning: the biggest and brightest "supermoon" of the year.
Supermoons occur when the moon is within 90 percent of perigee, or when it is closest in distance to the Earth. That helps it appear brighter and bigger in the night sky. It is expected to be the largest of four supermoons in 2020.
Tuesday night’s "supermoon" is also known by a few other names:
- Pink moon
- Sprouting grass moon
- Egg moon
- Fish moon
- Passover moon
The full moon started to rise at 7:34 p.m. ET Tuesday and it was best to be seen just after 10:30 p.m.
I was able to capture the #FullMoon as it danced across the Florida skies. This month, it is also known as the #SuperMoon because of how close it is to the #Earth. It is supposed to be the biggest one of the four supermoons this year. https://t.co/3NsSnJoHLZ @MyNews13 @BN9 pic.twitter.com/KoZMhcOtJv
— Anthony Leone (@AnthonyLeone) April 8, 2020
This month’s #FullMoon is also known as the #SuperMoon because of how close it is to #Earth. Click the link to see the other names it has for #April. #Space #astronomy #moon #AstroPhotography https://t.co/3NsSnJoHLZ @MyNews13 @BN9 pic.twitter.com/hFWt1v7zjE
— Anthony Leone (@AnthonyLeone) April 8, 2020